Binder for peroxid active material and process of making it.



UN TED STATE$ WILLIAM iv oniusolv,

01? Des Motives, Iowa.

'nmpnnl son rniioxm ACTIVE MA RIA Aunrnooess or MAKING. IT.

1,021,992. No Drawing. j vApplication filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TILLIAM MonnIsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, 1n the county of folk and State-of Iowa, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements m Binders for Peromd Active Material and Processes of Making Them, of which the following is a specifica'- .tion.'

This invention relates to the production of a'permancnttand insoluble binder for the active material of the positiveole electrodes of lead storage batteries- T is binder" fundamentally comprises an oxygen-compound of-niobium, otherwise called'columbium, a metal which is incapable of directly replacing hydrogen'in a sulfuric acid solution; insoluble by 'anodic oxidation ina sul-- furic acid Solution; incapable of cathodic reduction to metal, or of electrolytic separation as metal, in a sulfuric acid solution; and capableof forming complex anions with electroqiegativ' elements, which 'can constitute'the acidic radical of compounds having lead as abase,

To illustrate the 1nv be describedan electrolytic process of pro ducing a lead-peroxid electrode employlng a compound of niobium as thebinder. For

this purpose,'a metallic support, for example a grid of antimonial .lead, is pasted or filled with the .usual mixture of minium, litharge and sulfuric acid solution, in which mixture lead sulfate forms as a provisional'binder. Complete formation, or peroxidation, of the active. material is then preferably initially effected by placing the pasted grids, alter.-

nately with unfilled grids serving as dummyelectrodes of the opposite polarity, in a sulfuric acid solution have a specific gravity of 1.200 to 1.250, and passing an electric current through the solution, alternatelyin 'op posite directions, until the paste has. been sufficiently expanded, care being taken not to force the discharge beyond the normal intended capacity of the electrodes. The formed and dummy electrodes arethe'n removed fromthe sulfuric acid solution and placed in a cell containing Water, and electric current is passed from the filled electrodes to the dummies until the free acid in the'active material has been removed. The

. electrodes and dummies are then removed,

rinsed in water, and placed in a strong aqueous solution of an alkali-metal nlobate, for example potassium hexamobate.

ention, there will first PateiitediAp electric current is then passed from the. filled electrodes through the solution to the dum-'v m'ies,'and is continued for several hours, thereby causing niobium ions, presumablycomplex niobium-oxygen ions, to penetrate the active materialto any desired degree and to combine chemically with the leadoxygerr compounds thereof, and particularly with the lead sulfate which serves as the provi-ts5 sional binder in the electrode. The 'ele'c trodes and" dummies are then removed, rinsed'in water, placed in a sulfuric acid solution having a specific 1 gravity of about 1.300,'and an electric currentis'passed from the electrodes to the dummies until all of the soluble foreign constituents of the .ac- -tive material have been -removed or ren-. /dered insoluble. "The electrodes are then capacity, and thereafter recharged, pref-- erably' to somewhat less than their full ca pacity,'inj another sulfuric acid solutionof 1.280 specific gravity, the effect of suchin complete recharging being. to leave in the plate a certain proportionof lead sulfate to combine with the niobium ions on a repet-i tion of the treatment, should such repetition" be desired, for the purpose ofimpregnatingd amount of the binder compound. At the' conclusionof the treatment the positive-' pole electrodes are mounted in connection with the regular negative plates, and receive their full normal charge. v

The object of per operations with, dummy electrodes instead of withthe regular battery electrodes is to prevent injuryto the latter by combination impurities therein.

Positiverpoleelectrodes prepared as described are not suited for forming negative electrodes by reversal, since negative electrodes thus form local action. v

The niobium-oxygen anion appears .to play the same role in the binder compound as does the sulfur-oxygen anion in tlie ordinary lead electrodes in which lead sulfa constitutes the binder. The lead-niobiumoxygen compound is however, as compared" with the lead sulfate heretofore commonly used as a binder, very permanent'and insole cally inert under the conditions of use, while acting as an efiicient binder;

discharged to ;the extent of'their normal'75 1 the active material with. an additional ,85

forming the preceding of. niobium therewith or deposition of ed undergo discharge by .uble, being chemically and electrochemi-' mass, to incorporate the binder, or a portion thereof, with the active, material by another method, which will now be described.

This method consists in forming an aqueous solution of a suitable le'ad salt, as lead nitrate or acetate, adding a soluble niobate,

foi'fleicample potassium hexaniobate, until all the lead is precipitated, separating the precipitate and washing it with dilute sulfuric acid, then boiling it in strong sulfuric acid and washing it with water. The precipitated niobium compound may in some cases be heated, in order to give it a denser body. The desired proportion of this product is'very thoroughly mixed with the min- -ium-litharge'paste, as by grinding the materials together- The foregoing methods may be used singly or-together as desired, but if used together it is preferred to use the electrolytic method as ';the finishing stage.

. i It is to be understood that the several foregoing examples are illustrative in charater, and that the-invention is not limited tothe details of manipulation or to the strength or proportions of reagents recited; and. it isalso to be understood that the positive-pole electrodes may be prepared by methods other than those herein specifically described Without departure from my invention.

When the niobium compoundis produced by precipitation, according to the second method described, and subsequently added.

a} to the active material, it not only serves to to bind thism'aterial but also gives it porosity.

I claim:

1. Active material for positive-pole lead electrodes, comprising a compound containing niobium. a I

2. A permanent binder for the active material of positive-pole lead electrodes, consisting of a compound having niobium in its acidic radical.

3. A permanent binder for the active material of positive-pole leadelectrodes, consisting of a lead compound having niobium in itsacidic radical.

4. A permanent binder for the activematerial of positive-pole lead electrodes, consisting of a compound containing oxygen, lead and niobium.

5. A permanent binder for the active material of positive-pole lead electrodes, consisting of a compound containing oxygen, sulfur, lead and niobium.

6. In a process of binding the active material of positive-pole lead electrodes, the step which consists in impregnating it with a compound containing niobium in its acidic radical.

7. In a process of binding the active material of positive-pole lead electrodes, the steps which consist in reacting on a solution of a lead salt with a compound of niobium, and incorporating the reaction-product With the active material.

8. In a process of binding the active material of positive-pole lead electrodes, the steps which consist in reacting on a solution of a lead salt with a compound of niobium, incorporating the reaction-product with the active material, applying the mixture to a support to constitute an electrode, passing an electric current from the electrode through a solutionof a niobate, thereby impregnating the active material with a compound of niobium, and reacting, on said compound with sulfuric acid.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MORRISON.

-Witnesses: EUGENE A. BYRNns, N.P. LEONARD. 

